Proving a Preference for Pink

In the study, researchers asked a group of more than 200 adults to quickly
pick their preferred color from a pair of colored rectangles on a computer
screen.

"Although we expected to find sex differences, we were surprised at how
robust they were, given the simplicity of our test," says Hurlbert.

Although both men and women had a natural preference for “bluish” contrasts,
the study showed women’s top choices were at the reddish end of the hue
circle.

Specifically, researchers found women preferred colors in the reddish-purple
region of the color spectrum, while men's preference shifted towards
blue-green.

"On top of that, females have a preference for the red end of the
red-green axis. And this shifts their color preference slightly away from blue
towards red, which tends to make pinks and lilacs the most preferred colors in
comparison with others," says Hurlbert.

Researchers say the next step will be to test the color preferences of
infants to separate the “nature vs. nurture” element of color preference.

As for the universal preference for blue, "I can only speculate,"
says Hurlbert. "I would favor evolutionary arguments again here. Going back
to our ‘savannah’ days, we would have a natural preference for a clear blue
sky, because it signaled good weather. Clear blue also signals a good water
source."